S.Korea's export rises 3 pct in 1st 10 days of April

SEOUL, April 11 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's export logged a single-digit growth in the first 10 days of this month on the back of fewer business days, customs office data showed Monday.

Export amounted to 15.33 billion U.S. dollars in the April 1-10 period, up 3.0 percent compared to the same period of last year, according to Korea Customs Service.

The single-digit increase was mainly attributable to fewer working days. The number of business days declined by one day for the first 10 days of this month on a yearly basis.

The daily average export advanced 17.7 percent in the 10-day period. The country's outbound shipment continued to expand in double figures for 13 straight months through March.

Export for semiconductors and computers posted a double-digit growth, and oil products shipment almost doubled in the cited period.

Automotive export reduced 13.1 percent, and mobile phones shipment retreated 10.3 percent.

Export to China, South Korea's biggest trading partner, shrank 3.4 percent, but those to the United States and the European Union (EU) gained 4.0 percent and 2.9 percent respectively.

Import jumped 12.8 percent from a year earlier to 18.85 billion dollars in the first 10 days of April due to higher price for raw materials. The trade balance recorded a deficit of 3.52 billion dollars.

The import of oil products and crude oil logged a double-digit expansion, and the natural gas import more than doubled in the 10-day period.